The present invention relates to an apparatus and method to facilitate upgrading of a standard, general care hospital room to a critical room. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved apparatus and method for providing seamless critical care services to a patient in a hospital room and during transport of the patient within the hospital.
Recent trends have caused cost reducing pressures on hospitals. These cost pressures have driven traditional in-patient services to less expensive out-patient and home care settings. Therefore, hospitals tend to have smaller in-patient populations. Future in-patient populations are likely to be older and sicker patients with multiple complications. The population of intermediate care patients is also likely to increase while the med-surg hospital population is decreasing over time. Therefore, the in-patient hospital population has a higher level of acuity.
Hospitals will likely have fewer beds in the future. Reconstruction of hospital rooms for critical care services is very expensive. Typically, existing structures must be torn out and rebuilt with critical care capabilities.
It is known to provide a pivoting power column built within the room to provide life support services for critical care patients. These pivoting power columns, however, are not transportable and must be built within the particular hospital room. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,398,359; U.S. Pat. No. 5,377,371; U.S. Pat. No. 5,284,255; U.S. Pat. No. 5,186,337; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,072,906.
Several problems face hospital administrators and planners. Facilities within inflexible architectural systems restrict the ability of institutions to upgrade services quickly and inexpensively. In addition, the process of transporting critical care patients creates adverse conditions and risks for staff and patients due to the inability to easily move and maintain power for the ventilator and/or IV pumps and transport monitor.
In order to adapt to changes for fewer but more acute patients, hospitals need the option for more responsive architectural systems and patient rooms that can be upgraded to critical care or downgraded to med-surg quickly and inexpensively. In order to accomplish these needs and to reduce the number of staff and time required to transport a critical care patient, hospitals need a mobile equipment system that can support and provide power, medical gases, and a communication interface to a ventilator, IV pumps and/or a patient monitor. The system must consume minimum space within a patient room, be able to fit substantially within the footprint of the patient bed during transport, and organize and manage lines connected to the patient.
The apparatus and method of the present invention provides both an architectural headwall and a portion of the headwall that is mobile to allow a hospital to create a "general care" patient room that can be upgraded quickly and efficiently to a critical care room "upon demand" without remodeling the room. The apparatus of the present invention includes a general care "flexible" headwall with services that can be upgraded or downgraded easily. In addition, a care cart is provided that supports critical care devices such as the ventilator, pumps, etc. at the bedside. The care cart can be coupled to the patient bed for manually transporting the patient. During the transport the mobile care cart provides uninterrupted power for critical care devices.
The apparatus and method of the present invention provides several transport benefits. The apparatus reduces the time for preparing for transport and reduces the time required for disconnecting and handling of equipment. In addition, fewer staff are required for transport. The battery supply maintains uninterrupted power during transport as well as uninterrupted oxygen and air supply for ventilator patients. In the room, the apparatus and method of the present invention provides the flexibility to reposition services around the bed. Therefore, the present invention provides improved patient head access. The mobile care cart can also nest with the headwall to provide a compact design.
The apparatus and method of the present invention provides an improved headwall design for supporting med-surg patients. The headwall design provides minimal services including oxygen, air, vacuum, nurse call, and electricals. When it is desired to upgrade a room to a critical care room, a mobile care cart module of the present invention is transported into the room. The mobile care cart provides a means for efficiently upgrading a patient room to provide critical care services while minimizing construction and down time. The mobile care cart includes provisions for suction, oxygen, air, electrical outlets, and a battery power supply. A power assist drive mechanism can be included on the care cart, if desired.
The system of the present invention therefore provides basic universal services on the headwall. The hospital room can be upgraded to critical care "on demand" or just-in-time.
The headwall of the present invention includes an improved concealment cover to provide an aesthetically pleasing appearance. The concealment cover acts as a folding top surface. The foldable concealment cover can be folded within a raceway of the headwall to provide access to a track for hanging accessory items from the top of the raceway of the headwall.
The care cart provides a platform for mounting primary critical care equipment. A ventilator is mounted on a movable, power assisted and adjustable shelf so that the ventilator can be positioned in an elevated position when the mobile care cart is used in the hospital room. The care cart can also be provided with a fixed shelf or multiple fixed shelves, if desired. When it is desired to transport the critically ill patient within the hospital, the mobile care cart is disconnected from the headwall and connected to an end of the patient's hospital bed. An onboard power supply on the care cart supports the ventilator during transport. Manifolds are provided on the care cart for holding oxygen and air tanks which are connected to the ventilator during transport. Pivoting IV poles on the care cart can swing into a nested position adjacent the bed for transport. During transport, the equipment shelf is lowered to a position below the bed. The equipment shelf may be rotated so that the caregiver can view the equipment control panel during transport.
The care cart of the present invention is designed to provide seamless care for the patient. In other words, the caregiver does not have to rehandle or disconnect equipment that is connected to the patient to transport the patient.
The apparatus and method of the present invention may reduce the number of staff required to transport a critically ill patient. Typically, up to five people are required to transport the patient. With the apparatus and method of the present invention, two people can transport the patient.
While the critical care patient remains in the hospital room, the mobile care cart integrates with and is nested with the headwall. The care cart is connected to the main power supply of the room and the ventilator is connected to oxygen or air supplies in the headwall in a conventional manner.
According to one aspect of the present invention, an apparatus is provided to permit upgrading of a hospital room from a general care room to a critical care room and to facilitate transport of a critical care patient on a hospital bed or stretcher. The apparatus includes a headwall mounted to a wall of the hospital room. The headwall includes electrical outlets, gas supply outlets, and a bed locator section. The apparatus also includes a mobile care cart including a base having a plurality of casters, fixed or motorized adjustable equipment shelf coupled to the base, equipment located on the equipment shelf, a gas manifold, a medical gas supply line for coupling the gas manifold to a gas outlet of the headwall when the care cart is in the hospital room, and means for coupling the manifold to a transportable gas supply mounted on the mobile care cart during transport. The apparatus further includes a battery coupled to the base, and a power cord configured to be plugged into the electrical outlet in the headwall for recharging the battery and for powering the critical care unit when the mobile care cart is in the hospital room. The battery provides an uninterrupted power supply to select critical equipment when the power cord is unplugged for transport.
The mobile care cart is configured to be moved into the hospital room and located adjacent the patient hospital bed and the bed locator section of the headwall to upgrade the hospital room to a critical care room. The care cart also includes a latching mechanism for coupling the care cart to the hospital bed to provide a secure, stable connection during transport.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a mobile care cart includes a base including a plurality of casters, a latching mechanism on the base that can be adjusted for various types of hospital beds and equipment, a movable support coupled to the base, a drive mechanism coupled to the base and to the support to move the movable support from an elevated position to a downwardly extended, transport position, and an equipment shelf rotatably coupled to the movable support. The equipment shelf is rotatable relative to the base to facilitate access to an item of equipment located on the equipment shelf.
In the illustrated embodiment, the equipment shelf is located under an end of the hospital bed when the base is coupled to the hospital bed and the movable support is in its transport position. The equipment shelf is slidably coupled to the movable support to permit lateral movement of the equipment shelf relative to the support and the base in a direction normal to an axis of rotation of the equipment shelf.
Also in the illustrated embodiment, the apparatus includes electrical outlets coupled to the base for powering the items of equipment, a battery coupled to the base, and a power cord configured to be plugged into the electrical outlet in the headwall for recharging the battery and for powering the item of equipment when the mobile care cart is in the hospital room. The battery provides an uninterrupted power supply to the item of equipment when the power cord is unplugged for transport.
The illustrated embodiment further includes an indicator coupled to said base for indicating the condition of the battery. The indicator includes a display panel on the mobile care cart and an alarm coupled to the cart for providing an audible signal indicative of the condition of the battery.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a mobile care cart includes a latch mechanism for coupling the cart to a hospital bed during transport of the bed. The care cart also includes an on-board battery and gas supply for supplying electrical and gas outlets, respectively, on the care cart for use by equipment during transport. The care cart is nestable against a headwall when in the hospital room. The care cart further includes means for coupling the electrical and gas supply outlets on the care cart to electrical and gas supplies separate from the care cart when the care cart is in a hospital room. The coupling means automatically switches to use of the on-board battery and gas supply to provide an uninterrupted gas and electrical supply during transport when the cart is disconnected from the electrical and gas supplies separate from the care cart for transport.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, a mobile care cart apparatus includes a movable base, and a manifold assembly coupled to the base. The manifold assembly includes a manifold block having a gas inlet configured to be coupled to a gas tank located on the mobile care cart and a gas outlet. The apparatus also includes a cross over valve having a first input coupled to the gas outlet of the manifold, a second input configured to be coupled to a wall outlet gas supply by a gas supply hose, and an outlet. The outlet of the cross over valve is configured to be coupled to an item of equipment located on the care cart by a gas supply line. The cross over valve is configured to supply gas to the cross over valve outlet from the gas tank automatically when the wall outlet gas supply is disconnected from the gas supply hose and to supply gas to the crossover valve outlet from the wall outlet gas supply when the wall outlet gas supply is connected to the gas supply hose.
The illustrated manifold block includes first and second gas inlets coupled to the gas outlet. The first and second inlets are configured to be coupled to first and second gas tanks, respectively, for supplying gas to the outlet of the manifold from both of the first and second gas tanks. The illustrated manifold block also includes first and second recessed portions configured to receive a valve stem of the first and second gas tanks, respectively, and first and second latching brackets for securing the first and second gas tanks to the manifold block so that the manifold block protects the valve stems of the first and second gas tanks. The apparatus further includes first and second pressure gauges coupled to the first and second inlets to provide an indication of the pressure within the first and second tanks, respectively.
According to a still further aspect of the present invention, a mobile care cart apparatus is configured to be located adjacent a hospital bed during transport of the hospital bed. The mobile care cart apparatus includes a movable base, and a manifold assembly coupled to the base. The manifold assembly includes a manifold block having a gas inlet configured to be coupled to a gas tank located on the mobile care cart and a gas outlet configured to be coupled to an item of equipment located on the care cart by a gas supply line. The apparatus also includes a spring-loaded platform coupled to the base. The spring-loaded platform is configured to support a gas tank on the base to facilitate adjustment of the tank relative to the manifold.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a mobile care cart apparatus is configured to be located adjacent a hospital bed during transport of the hospital bed. The mobile care cart apparatus includes a movable base, and a manifold assembly coupled to the base. The manifold assembly includes a manifold block having a gas inlet configured to be coupled to a gas tank located on the mobile care cart and a gas outlet configured to be coupled to a first item of equipment located on the care cart by a gas supply line. The apparatus also includes an auxiliary gas flow control valve coupled to the outlet of the manifold for providing auxiliary gas flow to a second item of equipment on the care cart.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a mobile care cart apparatus is configured to be located adjacent a hospital bed during transport of the hospital bed. The mobile care cart apparatus includes a movable base, a power supply on the base, and a vacuum pump located on the base of the care cart and coupled to the power supply to provide suction on the care cart during transport.
According to an additional aspect of the present invention, a pressure regulator apparatus is provided for reducing pressure of a gas received from a gas outlet aperture formed in a planar surface and for delivering reduced pressure gas to a gas inlet aperture formed in the planar surface spaced apart from the gas outlet aperture by a first distance. The regulator apparatus includes a regulator body for reducing gas pressure. The body includes an end wall having a regulator inlet configured to be coupled to the gas outlet aperture, a first annular seal located a second distance from the regulator inlet, a second annular seal located a third distance from the regulator inlet, and a regulator outlet formed in the end wall between the first and second seals. The second distance is less than the first distance, and the third distance is greater than the first distance. The first and second seals are configured to engage the planar surface on opposite sides of the gas inlet aperture so that gas from the regulator outlet flows into the gas inlet aperture formed in the planar surface.
In the illustrated apparatus, the end wall is formed to include an annular groove surrounding the regulator inlet. The annular groove is spaced apart from the regulator inlet by the first distance so that the annular groove is aligned with the gas inlet aperture formed in the planar surface when the regulator inlet is coupled to the gas outlet aperture. The regulator outlet is formed in communication with the annular groove.
Also in the illustrated apparatus, the regulator inlet includes a threaded stem configured to be coupled to the gas outlet aperture. The first and second seals are O-ring seals located within first and second annular notches formed in the end wall of the regulator body.
Additional objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.